3 Ways to Show Personality in a Resume Cover Letter

You know your personality’s a big asset in your job search, don’t you? When you hear, “We’re looking for the right person for the job,” it means the employer’s looking for someone with the right personality, not just the experience listed in the job posting.

And you’re looking for a good match with your co-workers and boss. After all, that’s a big part of what makes a job fun (and productive).

So, in a sense, your resume cover letter is a litmus test of sorts. If your reader clicks with the personality you show in your cover letter, you’re apt to get the interview, which could lead to a job where you’re going to be happy. If he doesn’t, well, maybe you saved yourself a chunk of employment that might have ended on a bad note.

How to Show Personality in Your Resume Cover Letter

Here are three ways to make your personality shine through your cover letter:

1. Write the way you talk (without getting too informal). That is, make your letter sound more like a telephone call than a stiff formal document. For example, instead of "In regards to the such-and-such job opening you have listed on your website, please accept the attached resume as my application." try something like, "When I read the post on your website for the such-and-such job, I knew this was a job I wanted to apply for."

2. Say outright that you have a certain quality. For instance, say something like: “When it comes to being persuasive, I know when to pull out all the stops.”

3. Quote someone who thinks you have a great personality. Maybe your boss, co-worker, or client has said something like: “Frank’s sense of humor totally eased the tension during those negotiations.”

Another idea is to put a P.S. after your signature. It can be a friendly aside, such as "I'm really looking forward to showing you the mockup of a logo I sketched out for your new such-and-such product."

Got any other ideas to show personality in your resume cover letter? Please share them with us!